Galleria Carla Sozzani: 1990-2012

Carla Sozzani Book
Carla Sozzani has turned her curatorial prowess on herself with a new limited-edition tome and exhibition documenting the 22-year history of her eponymous photography gallery
(Image credit: Carla Sozzani)

Carla Sozzani has built an inimitable career toasting some of the top names in photography from her eponymous gallery at 10 Corso Como in Milan. Since its opening in 1990, the address has grown to accommodate fashion, design, books, even a hotel. And yet Galleria Carla Sozzani has remained true to its original ethos: to raise the profile of photography with rarely seen work by talents new and established.

This month Sozzani raises a toast to her own talents - as a patron, trendsetter and empire-builder - with a new limited-edition book and exhibition chronicling the first 22 years of her gallery. For both, Sozzani has assembled the most significant pieces from those years, from the debut exhibition of Louise Dahl-Wolfe to Yousuf Karsh's Hollywood portraiture, as well as work from Helmut Newton, Annie Leibovitz and Kwong Chi Tseng, a lesser-known figure on New York's East Village scene.

But the book goes beyond your average art tome. Sozzani sets it out as a complete history, incorporating newspaper reviews, installation shots and snaps from opening parties with characters like David LaChapelle, which make 10 Corso Como look like Milan's version of Studio 54.

The hardback edition comes in a two-volume box designed by Sozzani's longtime collaborator Claudio dell'Olio. Accompanying text by Giuliana Scimé tells tales of the big personalities who showed in Milan in the days before the city had fully embraced photography.

And it weaves in details of Sozzani's relationship with Kris Ruhs, her partner and creative director. Back in 1990, Ruhs' installation art transformed the former garage in a dark corner of Milan into an avant garde exhibition space. To bring things full circle, Sozzani has chosen some of Ruhs' most recent pieces to decorate the current show.

Carla Sozzani Book

The first volume explores her seminal exhibitions from 1990-2000

(Image credit: Carla Sozzani)

Carla Sozzani Book

 A collage of exhibition invitations from 1990-1995

(Image credit: Carla Sozzani)

Carla Sozzani Book

Dalla raccolta 'Libretto', abiti Comme des Garçons, by Paolo Roversi, 2000. 

(Image credit: Paolo Roversi)

Opere recenti, by Kris Ruhs, 1990

Opere recent by Kris Ruhs, 1990

(Image credit: Kris Ruhs)

Carla Sozzani Book

Night Bathing, by Louise Dahl-Wolfe,1939 (detail). © Stayley-Wise Gallery, New York

(Image credit: Louise Dahl-Wolfe)

Carla Sozzani Book

Santa Monica, CA, USA, 1950 (detail). © Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos

(Image credit: Elliott Erwitt,)

Carla Sozzani Book

Ralph Gibson, 2000

(Image credit: Ralph Gibson)

Carla Sozzani Book

Rock and roll heroes and the 60s, 1997

(Image credit: David Bailey)

Image of Paulownia

Paulownia - Tre voci by Rei Kawakubo, 1993

(Image credit: Japanese fashion)

Galleria Carla Sozzani

Architettura a Los Angeles,1997. © J. Paul Getty Trust (used with permission Julius Shulman Photography Archive, Research Library at the Getty Research Institute)

(Image credit: Julius Shulman)

Galleria Carla Sozzani

Una stanza - Tom Dixon, Marc Newson, Kris Ruhs, 1991

(Image credit: Tom Dixon, Marc Newson, Kris Ruhs)

The second volumes chronicles the gallery's history from 2001-2012

The second volumes chronicles the gallery's history from 2001-2012

(Image credit: Press)

Galleria Carla Sozzani: 1990-2012

Edward Steichen, 2012

(Image credit: Edward Steichen)

Furniture, by Yayoi Kusama, 2005

Furniture, by Yayoi Kusama, 2005

(Image credit: Yayoi Kusama)

Galleria Carla Sozzani: 1990-2012

David LaChapelle, 2001

(Image credit: Press)

Galleria Carla Sozzani: 1990-2012

Charles Jourdan, by Guy Bourdin, Fall 1977. © The Estate of Guy Bourdin (left); Installation views from Guy Bourdin's 2009 exhibition, 'A message for you - Unseen' (right)

(Image credit: Press)

Galleria Carla Sozzani: 1990-2012

William Klein, 2000

(Image credit: Press)

Galleria Carla Sozzani: 1990-2012

Blue #1010B, 2004, by Kenro Izu. 

(Image credit: © Kenro Izu Studio)

Galleria Carla Sozzani: 1990-2012

Carlo Valsecchi, 2011

(Image credit: Press)

Galleria Carla Sozzani: 1990-2012

Growth, Prix Pictet, 2011 (detail)

(Image credit: Press)

Galleria Carla Sozzani: 1990-2012

Collezione artisanal, by Maison Martin Margiela, 2007

(Image credit: Maison Martin Margiela)

Galleria Carla Sozzani

#0081 Castellarano, Reggio Emilia, IT, 2002 (left); #0162 Dalmine, Gergamo, IT, 2003 (right), by Carlo Valsecchi. © Carlo Valsecchi (right)

(Image credit: Carlo Valsecchi)

Galleria Carla Sozzani: 1990-2012

The second book concludes with this faded image of the gallery

(Image credit: Press)

ADDRESS

Corso Como, 10
20154 Milan

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Based in London, Ellen Himelfarb travels widely for her reports on architecture and design. Her words appear in The Times, The Telegraph, The World of Interiors, and The Globe and Mail in her native Canada. She has worked with Wallpaper* since 2006.